Wagon end-gate



(No Model.)

G. N. BACON.

WAGONBND GATE.

No.- 307,257. Patented Oct. 28, 1884.

1.7V` VEN TOR .dttorney WITNESSES l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;D

GEORGE N. BACON, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WAGON END-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 307,257, dated October 28, 1884.

Application tiled July 9, 1884. (No model.) Y

zen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tagen End-Gates, of which the following is la specification, reference being had herein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates io improvements in end-gates for wagons, and is designed to produce an easilyoperated but strong and iirm gate, which aids materially in bracing the sides of the body.

In describing the device reference will be had to' the annexed drawings, representing, in Figure l, a perspective of the wagon end, the gate being closed; and Fig. 2 a side elevation, the gate being partly opened.

A designates the sides of the wagon,which has hinged to it in any approved manner the tail or end gate B, normally secured in position by springcatehes C on the upper edges of the sides A. A plate, D, on the upper edge of the end-gate, and projecting a short distan ce down the sides thereof, serves the double purpose of preventing splitting and cracking and acting as a bearing-surfaee for the catches. Near the upper edge of the gate, on the outside, is a metallic plate or strip, E, securedin place by the shouldered eyebolts F. The strip extends around the ends of the gate and parallel with the sides of the body, bearing against the plates G 011 the said sides When the gate is shut, thus serving to keep them from spreading under pressure, and doing away with the projecting side braces usual with wagons, and thereby leaving no parts extending from the body to be broken or injured by contact. The eyebolts form a bearing for the roclcshaft H, having on each end a right-angle continuation, carrying a rounded enlargement or head, I, so constructed that when the shaft is "rocked7 by means of the centrally-located and downwardly-extending handle K it will engage under and lift the head of the catch, and so relieve the end-gate. The heads, having raised the catches, press against the surface of the tail-gate, and thus allowa pull 7 to be exerted on the said tailgate to open it. This is much better than the use of earns or similar devices that exert a pressure on the catch instead of ou lthe tailgate. rlhe use of the headed ends avoid the too high lifting of the spring-catches, besides obviating danger of breakage of the springs from a sudden 'and violent accidental operation of the device, as all the pressure would be exerted on the end-gate only.

Having described the device, what I claim 1s In combination with a wagon-body having a spring-catch-retained end-gate, a strip eX- tending across the gate and around the ends thereof onto the sides of the body, where they engage with bearing-plates, the strip being secured by shouldered eyebolts, which form the bearing for a rock-shaft having headed rightangle ends and a handle, all operating as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. N. BACON. ifitnesses: y

GHAs. D. Davis, J. R. HAYES. 

